• Google has hidden a
  Easter egg
  of Squid Game; type "Squid Game" in the search bar to play. 🎮
• You play the iconic Red Light, Green Light game with six characters, and your goal is to save them all. 🚦👾
• Win the game by moving players when the music starts and stopping them before it ends. 🎵⏳

Google is known for its Easter eggs, but this time it outdid itself. You probably already know Squid Game, Netflix's hit South Korean thriller. It's currently in its second season, so Google decided to surprise us with a secret game. 🤫🎉

How to Play Google's Secret Squid Game

To start the fun, type "Squid Game" directly into the Google Play app on your phone or through your web browser on your computer. After a few seconds, a brown card with a circle, triangle, and square—just like the ones the show's contestants receive—will appear at the bottom. Click or tap it to begin the game. 🎮✨

The game in question is Red Light, Green Light, the first game the contestants play in the series and arguably the most iconic. Young-hee (the doll from the show) will appear on your screen, along with six players who represent your lives, in the style of a classic arcade game. 🕹️✨

The doll begins reciting "Mugunghwa-kkoci pieot-seumnida," which means it's time to move your players. You move them by tapping or clicking the blue "O" button, and you stop them with the red "X" button. You only need to press "O" once to get the players moving; tapping the button repeatedly won't make them move any faster. 🚦❌

You must press "X" before the song ends and the doll turns over. If you don't react in time, you'll lose a player. Fortunately, instead of being brutally eliminated like in the show, the player simply walks away and disappears, making it a more family-friendly option. 😊

Tips for Winning at Google's Squid Game

While you'll technically win if at least one player crosses the finish line, your not-so-secret mission is to save everyone. There's a special little animation you won't want to miss. 🎊

To win the game, pay attention to when the song starts and ends. There's a brief grace period between the doll turning its head and the song ending, but since there's no timer like in the game show, take advantage of that by stopping players early. ⏱️👌

Also, I noticed that players don't react to the button until you release it, meaning you can keep your finger on the "X" and only release it when the song ends. This allows you to react faster and cover more distance in a single run. 🏃‍♂️💨

Google does a great job of incorporating culturally relevant Easter eggs, but they're typically in the form of Doodles, so I was surprised to find a mini-game while searching. 🎨🕹️

While the game looks easy, it's actually harder than you think. Plus, you can always add an extra layer of challenge by timing your runs, trying to finish quickly, and competing against friends. 🏆🎮